Review Statistics

Times Read

645

Comments

1

Reviews

Manga

Plot Synopsis

No plot synopsis or other information available for NHK ni Youkoso!

Story & Characters

Tatsuhito is a hikikomori, one who chooses a life of solitude willingly shuts himself out from society. Thus he cannot live a normal life, find a job, etc. One day a religious solicitor comes by his apartment and advertises that he can be saved from being a hikikomori (which Tatsu believes through drug trips that is a conspiracy formed by the "NHK"). About to close the door on the prospect, he becomes friends with the girl, Misaki, who is the niece of the solicitor. What does she have in store for him? She claims she is able to pull him out of being a hikikomori, but what other motives does she have? Why does she not go to school? Later, Tatsu meets his next door neighbor, Yamazaki, who is obsessed with anime and has a lolita complex. They embark to create the ultimate "ero" game despite their inability to get things done, especially Tatsu's. Anyway, I can go on but the basis of the story is that the hikikomori Tatsu ends up in strange situations and scenarios that involve strange people close to him.

Not a witty story, but no other manga I know of centers on the Japanese epidemic of hikikomoris. All characters are not really likable, sadly. Another note to add: Tatsu as a hikikomori does not appear very accurate as he does seem to socialize "normally" despite what he calls himself. He ventures outside, talk to old classmates, etc., things that are not normal of a hikikomori.

Rating

5 (moderate)

Art

The only redeeming factor of the manga. In fact, there are a lot of funny artworks that deserve praise, especially the faces Tatsu makes (however sad or disgusting many of them are). Beware: many of them are ecchi. Character designs are far from original but at least the artwork is appealing.

Rating

8 (good)

Sound

Instead of sound, I'll review dialogue. It's average, nothing special. Some parts can be a little overwhelming because much of the text revolves around thoughts and what goes on in characters' minds, however messed up all of them are. Near the latter part of the manga, dialogues become more serious and less humorous. Why the sudden change, I don't know, but it is definitely not a good change.

Rating

5 (moderate)

Presentation

I read up to ch. 32 of the manga. I don't really plan on continuing. Although at first it became very promising, the humor was extremely funny and the wackiness of the characters even better, it slowly became one of those mind trips reminiscent of Serial Experiments Lain or Evangelion where it becomes a dialogue of thoughts that go in one ear and out the other. It doesn't surprise me that Yoshitoshi Abe (of Lain, NieA, and Haibane) illustrated the light novel.

I read less and less humor as more and more drama crept in. True, the characters are all screwed up. That can be golden material for humor; instead the mankaga tapped into the depressing areas of themselves. The more I read, the less I became interested in their outcomes. I read it that the characters had absolutely no hope or aspiration for anything beyond their selfish desires, be it Misaki's dependence on looking down on others (such hypocrisy for a dropout), Tatsu's utter laziness to do anything productive, Hitom's dependence on drugs, or Yamazaki's lolicon obsession. To me, they are all trainwrecks that are sinking further and further into despair and depression.

The beginning was a blast, but the series so far is going into the depths of flashbacks, running in the darkness, thought dialogues, etc. that even the ecchi sequences have lost their humor. There has been times when during the first couple volumes of the manga I found myself holding in my laughter. Points for that. The latter part of the manga is clearly unenjoyable, and I felt myself reading it for the sake of reading it.

Rating

3 (poor)

Final Verdict

4.83 (moderate)

Reviewed by suikodee, 1y 33wk ago